Get Entrepreneur Now

Three of a
Kind
Whatcha got under the hood of your desktop? If it's the latest
from Intel, it's a 3GHz Pentium 4 processor. Not only does it
have a faster clock speed, but its hyperthreading feature also
handles heavy-duty programs and multiple open applications better.
The drawback is that hyperthreading really only reaches its
potential when used with the Windows XP operating system and
optimized software. Businesses using other systems won't find
this special feature as attractive.

The chip's high performance is great for users who can't
get enough fuel for their hungry graphics, video or database
software. Other entrepreneurs are likely to pass on the hefty price
tags these desktops carry (certain fully stocked Dell models with
lots of memory and storage top the $2,000 and even $3,000 marks).
The bottom line: The new 3GHz Intel Pentium 4 will suit high-end
users with room in their budgets and the need for an upgrade.

Spam Wars
Spam: You can't live with it, and you can't get away from
it. A recent report from Jupiter Research estimates the amount of
spam we receive will more than double by 2007. E-mail security
service provider Message-Labs estimates that the volume of spam
e-mail will overtake non-spam e-mail in mid-2003. For
entrepreneurs, clogged inboxes mean lost productivity and a burden
on resources.

With these depressing figures, how do entrepreneurs spell
relief? The FTC has stepped up efforts against deceptive spam
advertising by sending out warning letters and threatening legal
action. But for the most part, government regulation, particularly
at the state level, has been confusing and ineffective. Growing
businesses walk a fine line between consumer anti-spam offerings
and expensive enterprise anti-spam solutions.

Setting filters on your e-mail client will only get you so far.
The trick is to catch the spam before it clogs your server. One way
is to sign up with an ISP that implements a strong anti-spam
program, like Bright-mail (www.brightmail.com) or SendMail (www.sendmail.com).
Check to see if your ISP has spam-blocking capabilities. If it
doesn't, consider switching providers. Subscribing to an IP
address blacklist provider like the nonprofit Mail Abuse Protection
System (http://mail-abuse.org) or Spamhaus (www.spamhaus.org) can
ease the problem but can also cut off some legitimate e-mails.
Until we reach a convergence of anti-spam programs and government
regulation, spam will continue to be on the e-mail menu for
entrepreneurs everywhere.